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Grand slam: Jose Bautista nabs a record number of all-star votes

By Mark ZwolinskiSports Reporter

Sun., July 3, 2011

Jose Bautista’s home run swing has taken him to one of baseball’s greatest heights.

The Toronto Blue Jays third baseman not only cracked the American League’s starting lineup at the 2011 All-Star Game, as voted in by fan balloting, he set a record for the most votes ever cast for a single player in baseball history.

Blue Jays third baseman Jose Bautista set a record for the most votes ever cast for a single player in MLB All-Star-Game history. (DAVID COOPER / Toronto Star)

“That sounds amazing, my appreciation to the fans for all their support, we got it in three different territories, Canada, the U.S., and the Dominican … I can’t even describe how good that feels,” Bautista said Sunday as the vote was announced, making him the AL’s starting right fielder, and the game’s all time highest vote getter.

When the official vote was announced Sunday, Bautista received 7,454,753 votes. The previous record belonged Ken Griffey Jr. who received 6,069,688 in 1994.

The only other Blue Jay who will appear at the All-Star Game is manager John Farrell.

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Bautista will lead an American League lineup that includes four players from the Yankees. Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez, Robinson Cano and Curtis Granderson were chosen from New York.

Philadelphia aces Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee and Cole Hamels are part of the National League pitching staff. The Phillies have the best record in the majors.

The Milwaukee Brewers had three players picked to start for the National League — Prince Fielder, Ryan Braun and Rickie Weeks.

Bautista touched on the fact his vote was so widespread, coming from three of baseball’s largest countries in terms of fan interest, support, and player representation.

A year ago, Bautista was leading the major leagues in home runs at the all-star break, but did not make the all-star team on fan voting. Debate surfaced afterwards, centering on a perceived lack of exposure for Bautista to the major fan bases in the U.S. because he was playing in Canada.

“I don’t see where that comes from, we have a whole country behind us,” Bautista said of Canada. “I’m very proud to be representing Canada and the Dominican.”

Bautista, who was selected to the 2010 All-Star Game on player and coach voting, went on to lead the majors and shatter the Jays single season mark with 54 home runs.

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He is again atop the majors with 26 homers, and his playing accomplishments have given rise to feature coverage in every major sporting publication, television commercials, and a lucrative new contract from the Jays. At the same time, praise is growing for his character and the way he handles himself as a representative of the Jays.

“I think Jay (Jays PR director Jay Stenhouse) told me the story that when Jose won the Hank Aaron award (in 2010) and was asked to come to a World Series game, his first reaction was to give credit to Toronto and to Canada,” Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos said.

“That’s telling for a guy that’s come from nowhere fast and it shows what kind of character he has and the kind of human being he is.”

Bautista will proceed to Arizona for the All-Star Game in two weeks, and will likely be asked to participate in the home run derby, the annual home run competition that is part of the tow days of festivities for the summer classic.

While the free swinging contest has come under scrutiny for its potential to interfere with, and even ruin, a players swing, Bautista has no fear it will affect his stroke.

“I’m going to take it like batting practice, I’m not superstitious or anything like that, I’m not going to change my swing for the sake of hitting home runs,” Bautista said.

“I’m going there to have fun, to hit home runs, and if I win, great, if I don’t, it will be a lot of fun anyways.”

But while he was full of appreciation, the all-star fan vote announcement did frustrate Bautista.

“I feel disappointed Ricky Romero didn’t make it,” Bautista said of the Jays ace, who has pitched deservedly, but who’s 7-7 record may have left him under the fan’s radar.

“It may come down to a manager’s choice (for Romero), but for me playing behind him, he pitches like an all-star … his innings pitched, his strikeouts, WHIP, the way he holds runners on base, all of it. I hope he gets to go to the game.”

The All-Star Game will be played July 12 in Phoenix. The league that wins get home-field advantage in the World Series.

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